Housing

Alan Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what her estimate is of  (a) the number of people who have participated in and  (b) the level of public expenditure on Government initiatives to increase home ownership in each year since 1997, broken down by (i) local authority area and (ii) region;
	(2)  what her estimate is of the number of people in each region who will participate in Government initiatives to increase home ownership in future years.

Yvette Cooper: The following table shows completions and expenditure through the Housing Corporation's Affordable Housing Programme (AHP) and Local Authority Social Housing Grant on low cost home ownership programmes. This investment reflects the overall public expenditure levels established by the previous administration and set for 1997-98 to 1999-2000 and the priority first given to tackling the backlog of £19 billion in council housing investment to provide decent homes. From 2004, investment decisions have reflected the priorities set by the regional housing boards for investment in their areas and since 2006-07, the Government's priority of providing more social rented homes.
	
		
			   Completions  Expenditure (£ million) 
			 1997-98 11,684 172 
			 1998-99 8,874 125 
			 1999-2000 5,112 94 
			 2000-01 4,775 117 
			 2001-02 4,352 118 
			 2002-03 4,487 161 
			 2003-04 6,912 343 
			 2004-05(1) 11,409 459 
			 2005-06 16,534 544 
			 (1) Completion figures do not include VPG. 
		
	
	For the two years, 2006-07 and 2007-08, we plan to assist some 35,000 households into low cost home ownership through the Housing Corporation's AHP.
	We have a target to assist 120,000 people into home ownership by 2010 and the homes being provided by the Housing Corporation will contribute to this. The number of homes to be provided from 2008-09 will be the subject of the comprehensive spending review 2007.
	A table has been placed in the Library of the House displaying information on the homes provided for low cost home ownership and expenditure on these programmes from 1997-98 to 2005-06 through the Housing Corporation's Affordable Housing Programme (AHP) and Local Authority Social Housing Grant (LASHG) by local authority and region.
	Neither table include spend or completions through Starter Home Initiative, Thames Gateway or Right to Acquire figures. Funding and completions are not directly comparable, as funding will relate to projects running, not necessarily units completed, in any one year.

Carers: Education

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he has taken to support carers while they are engaged in learning activities; and if he will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: Statutory responsibility for supporting carers under the age of 18 who have been assessed as children in need lies with the local authorities concerned, and my Department issued guidance with the Department of Health in August 2005 on the Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000 and the Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004. The latter Act requires authorities, in making an assessment, to take into account the carer's wishes to undertake education, training, work, or leisure activity.
	The Department's guidance to administrators of the discretionary Access to Learning Fund covers students with caring responsibilities, although this is chiefly designed with adult carers in mind. Young carers in full-time education—that is, with at least 12 guided learning hours per week—may be eligible for Education Maintenance Allowances (EMAs). Although in general a weekly allowance payment is only made to a student where they have attended all required sessions, a school or college has discretion to authorise an absence caused by caring responsibilities. Learning providers should not, however, authorise a student's absences regularly for this reason.
	Carers aged over 16 who provide at least 35 hours of care a week may be entitled to Carers Allowance, where they are undertaking less than 21 hours a week of supervised study, and institutions will need to take this into account when considering appropriate arrangements for enabling carers to access learning.

Higher Education: Hartlepool

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many students from Hartlepool constituency were allocated a university place in each year since 1996;
	(2)  how many students from Hartlepool constituency went to  (a) each university and  (b) university in each region of the UK in the last year for which information is available.

Bill Rammell: The total numbers of undergraduate entrants to UK Higher Education Institutions from Hartlepool parliamentary constituency for each year since 1996/97 are given in the table. Figures for the 2006/07 academic year will be available in January 2008.
	
		
			  Number of entrants to undergraduate courses( 1)  from Hartlepool parliamentary constituency—UK Higher Education Institutions( 2)  academic years 1996/97 to 2005/06 
			  Academic year  Number of entrants 
			 1996/97 500 
			 1997/98 535 
			 1998/99 620 
			 1999/2000 615 
			 2000/01 770 
			 2001/02 825 
			 2002/03 960 
			 2003/04 940 
			 2004/05 940 
			 2005/06 985 
			 (1) Covers students on full-time and part-time modes of study. (2) Excludes the Open University.  Note:  Figures are on a snapshot basis as at the 1 of December for comparability and are rounded to the nearest five.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). 
		
	
	The latest available information for the number of students from Hartlepool parliamentary constituency who went to each university in the UK split by the government office region of the institution is given in the following table, for the 2005/06 academic year.
	
		
			  Number of entrants to undergraduate courses( 1)  from Hartlepool parliamentary constituency by institution and Government Office Region of the Institution—UK Higher Education Institutions( 2)  academic year 2005/06 
			  Government Office Region / Institution  Number of entrants 
			  North East  
			 The University of Northumbria at Newcastle 95 
			 The University of Sunderland 145 
			 The University of Teesside 510 
			 University of Durham 20 
			 The University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne 30 
			 Total 800 
			   
			  North West  
			 Edge Hill University 5 
			 St. Martin's College (3)— 
			 The University of Central Lancashire 10 
			 Liverpool John Moores University (3)— 
			 The Manchester Metropolitan University 5 
			 The University of Lancaster 5 
			 The University of Liverpool 5 
			 The University of Salford (3)— 
			 Cumbria Institute of the Arts (3)— 
			 The University of Manchester 5 
			 Total 35 
			   
			  Yorkshire and the Humber  
			 York St. John University College 10 
			 Trinity and All Saints College (3)— 
			 The University of Huddersfield 10 
			 Leeds Metropolitan University 25 
			 Sheffield Hallam University 5 
			 The University of Hull 10 
			 The University of Leeds 10 
			 The University of Sheffield (3)— 
			 The University of York 5 
			 Total 75 
			   
			  East Midlands  
			 The University of Northampton (3)— 
			 The University of Lincoln (3)— 
			 De Montfort University 5 
			 The Nottingham Trent University 5 
			 The University of Leicester (3)— 
			 Loughborough University (3)— 
			 The University of Nottingham 5 
			 Total 15 
			   
			  West Midlands  
			 University of Central England in Birmingham (3)— 
			 Coventry University (3)— 
			 The University of Wolverhampton (3)— 
			 Aston University (3)— 
			 The University of Birmingham 5 
			 The University of Warwick (3)— 
			 Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies (3)— 
			 Total 10 
			   
			  East  
			 Anglia Ruskin University 5 
			 University of Hertfordshire (3)— 
			 The University of Cambridge 5 
			 The University of Essex (3)— 
			 Total 10 
			   
			  London  
			 University of the Arts, London (3)— 
			 Rose Bruford College (3)— 
			 Kingston University (3)— 
			 London South Bank University (3)— 
			 Thames Valley University (3)— 
			 Brunei University (3)— 
			 Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine (3)— 
			 The Royal Veterinary College (3)— 
			 Conservatoire for Dance and Drama (3)— 
			 London Metropolitan University (3)— 
			 Total 10 
			   
			  South East  
			 The University of Brighton (3)— 
			 Oxford Brookes University 5 
			 The University of Portsmouth 5 
			 The University of Kent (3)— 
			 The University of Oxford 5 
			 The University College for the Creative Arts at Canterbury (3)— 
			 Total 10 
			   
			  South West  
			 University of Gloucestershire (3)— 
			 The University of Plymouth 5 
			 The University of Bath (3)— 
			 Total 5 
			   
			  Scotland  
			 The University of Edinburgh 5 
			 Total 5 
			   
			  Wales  
			 University of Wales, Aberystwyth (3)— 
			 Total (3)— 
			  Northern Ireland  
			 The Queen's University of Belfast (3)— 
			 Total (3)— 
			   
			 Total 985 
			 (1) Covers students on full-time and part-time modes of study. (2) Excludes the Open University. Excludes those institutions that did not have any entrants from Hartlepool parliamentary constituency. (3) Number grater than zero but less than three.  Note:  Figures are on a snapshot basis as at the 1 December for comparability and numbers are rounded to the nearest five therefore components may not sum to totals.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Olympic Games: Greater London

David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 10 May 2007,  Official Report, column 344W, on the Olympic games: Greater London, how his Department plans to monitor progress towards and achievement of the targets set by construction skills to address the skills needs of the Olympic project; whether these targets will extend beyond 2012; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: The ConstructionSkills' Council and CITB-ConstructionSkills' Board review performance against targets regularly, using data supplied by the Construction Skills Network. Regular meetings between CITB-ConstructionSkills and DFES at both official and ministerial level ensure that the Government is kept well-informed about progress. The achievements of key targets for London and the South East will to continue to be reported in CITB-ConstructionSkills' annual report which is laid before Parliament each spring.
	The Construction Skills Network works to a five year forecasting model and current forecasts cover up to 2012. They are, however, working with the Office for Government Commerce to develop models for London, the Greater South East and the rest of the UK that extend 10 years forward. This will help to ensure that ConstructionSkills and the Government have a better understanding of the industry's capacity in the longer term.

Sure Start Programme

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many Sure Start children's centres closed in each of the last five years; and how many such centres were the subject of requests to him for additional resources without which the centre would be closed in each year;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 28 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 1538-9W, on children's centres, whether he would expect to be informed in all cases of closures of Sure Start children's centres; and of how many such closures he has been informed since 28th March 2007.

Beverley Hughes: The Department has not received any reports of the closure of Sure Start children's centres since the programme began in 2003. I would expect local authorities to alert us when if any centre were to be threatened with closure. This would enable Together for Children (the consortium appointed to support the delivery of children's centres) to broker a solution with local partners for the continuation of children's centre services in the area concerned.

Young People: Carers

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps are being taken to ensure children who act as principal carers for family members have necessary support at school; what budget has been allocated for that purpose; what strategy is in place to monitor the educational outcomes of such children; and if he will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: Schools are already required to promote the education and welfare of all their pupils, and they should take pupils' particular circumstances into account. The Government are clear that if a school is concerned that one of their pupils may be a "child in need", whether as a young carer or for any other reason, they should consider communicating with the child's family and with local children's services.
	The Government are committed to ensuring that the revised guidance on attendance management, "Advice and guidance to Schools and Local Authorities on Managing Behaviour and Attendance: groups of pupils at particular risk", is understood by schools and publicised by the Department. This guidance includes young carers as one of the groups that is at risk of becoming disengaged from education, and it was revised in October 2006 to reflect comments from the Princess Royal Trust for Carers. Young carers will be mentioned in our revised anti-bullying guidance, Safe to Learn (due to issue later this term), as one of the categories of pupil particularly vulnerable to bullying. We also plan to ensure that schools are aware of their duties under the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 (DDA), and to draw their attention to our resource Implementing the DDA in Schools and Early Years Settings. Once this work is complete, we plan to draw the attention of teachers, schools, and local authorities to the specific application to young carers of these resources.
	There is no specific budget allocated for the support of young carers at school: head teachers and governors have discretion to allocate their resources flexibly in response to local needs. As part of their general funding, local authorities have substantial resources to fulfil their responsibilities towards children and families. They also receive the carers special grant which supports local authorities in providing breaks and services for carers.
	Schools are not required to collect data on children and young people with caring responsibilities. The Government accept that not all young carers wish to discuss what they regard as sensitive family issues with their schools.

Departments: Intimidation

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many complaints of bullying have been investigated in his Department in the last 12 months; and how many complaints have been upheld.

Barry Gardiner: The figures for this information relate to core DEFRA and the following agencies PSD, CSL, VMD, CEFAS and Animal Health.
	The internal formal equal opportunities complaints procedure is on DEFRA's intranet site and all staff has access to them.
	Under the above procedures in the last 12 months, six cases of bullying were investigated and one case was upheld.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Armed Conflict

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking to assist in finding a solution to the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ian McCartney: In the short term, we continue to urge the Congolese government to seek peaceful and negotiated solutions to the internal problems which provoke violence. We support the continuation of the UN peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) (MONUC)'s mandate and encourage MONUC to take a robust stance against foreign and Congolese militia groups that threaten civilians.
	We remain concerned by the ongoing violence in eastern DRC. We continue to press the Congolese Government to make security sector reform a priority, so a disciplined and well-trained national army is developed. This is the only long-term solution to prevent further conflict.
	The DRC remains a priority for the UK. Our extensive bilateral assistance to the DRC, £75 million in the last financial year, is designed to work in support of conflict prevention, including work on security sector reform, democracy and accountability and provision of basic services to the population. I discussed this issue myself when I met William Swing, UN Secretary-General's special representative for the DRC, on 2 March.

Economic and Monetary Union: European Constitution Treaty

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funds have been spent since 2005 by British embassies to EU countries on  (a) events and  (b) organisations to support UK strategic priorities pertaining to the Government's EU policies, with particular reference to (i) the euro and (ii) the EU constitution.

Geoff Hoon: All our embassies in EU capitals are proactive in supporting the UK's strategic priorities relating to the Government's EU policies through a wide range of activity. However, collating the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Palestinians: Politics and Government

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of security arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza.

Ian McCartney: We are concerned about the security situation in Gaza. The recent intra-Palestinian violence, which started on 13 May, has left 54 Palestinians dead. We welcome the ceasefire, which was agreed on 19 May, to end this violence. However, the on-going launching of Qassam rockets from Gaza into Israel, the Israeli airstrikes in Gaza and the resulting Palestinian casualties are of serious concern. As my hon. Friend the Minister for the Middle East (Dr. Howells) said on 21 May in a press conference following the Israeli raids on Gaza:
	"For the sake of the people of Gaza and southern Israel, we want to see a complete halt to internal violence in Gaza and to rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel. The continuing violence is creating a situation of intolerable suffering for those living in the Gaza Strip, and taking its toll on the residents of Sderot".
	We are also concerned by the movement restrictions placed upon Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs has noted that access to parts of the West Bank, such as East Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley, have not improved due to a high number of checkpoints (537 as of April), roadblocks, the barrier and a complex system of permits. In Gaza, the regular closure of the Rafah crossing point and lack of access to the West Bank has had a detrimental effect on the population. We continue to raise our concerns about movement restrictions with the Israeli Government and call upon both parties to implement the 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access.

Zambia: Politics and Government

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the political situation in Zambia.

Ian McCartney: Following elections, which we believed set a strong example within Southern African Development Community, Zambia has continued to enjoy political stability. Underpinning this is Zambia's continued strong economic performance. In their 27 December 2006 report, the International Monetary Fund forecast a solid 6 per cent. growth for 2006, with an outlook of 7 per cent. for 2007. The 2007 Budget speech contained a useful restatement of the Government's commitment to sound macroeconomic policies and fiscal discipline.
	President Mwanawasa has also targeted corruption as a key Government priority. The 4 May judgment by the London High Court against former President Chiluba in a civil case brought before it on behalf of the Zambian Attorney-General was a historic event. It sends a powerful message in Zambia, but with a resonance beyond, that plundering a nation's resources will not be tolerated. We look forward to the money being returned to the Zambian people.

Midwives: Insurance

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made with plans to require independent midwives to have professional indemnity insurance; and what consultation  (a) has taken place and  (b) is planned with (i) midwives, (ii) other healthcare professionals and (iii) women on those plans.

Ivan Lewis: The White Paper stated that the introduction of compulsory indemnity insurance of all registered health professionals will be required in timevdzxbxcb.
	The introduction of compulsory professional indemnity cover for midwives will require secondary legislation. A three-month public consultation will form part of that legislative process. No specific date for this has yet been set.
	The chief nursing officer has met with and written to independent midwives and is investigating alternative contractual arrangements which may resolve the issue.

York Capio Centre

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 24 April 2007,  Official Report, column 1055W, on York Capio Centre, what procedures were carried out at the Clifton NHS Treatment Centre in 2006-07; how many patients underwent each procedure; and what the average cost per case was for each procedure;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 24 April 2007,  Official Report, column 1055W, on York Capio Centre, how many procedures the Clifton NHS Treatment Centre was contracted to carry out in 2006-07; how many were carried out in that year; and how many procedures the centre is contracted to carry out in each year between 2007-08 and 2010-11.

Andy Burnham: There were 1,522 patient discharges from the Clifton national health service treatment centre in 2006-07. Information on patients discharged is not held by procedure.
	Utilisation of independent sector treatment centre contracts is measured on the basis of value rather than activity, this is to allow for the variations which occur through substitution of activity between procedures of varying value. This in turn allows the schemes to better meet the requirements of local NHS commissioners. Recent changes to the casemix at the treatment centre, at the request of sponsoring primary care trusts, has meant that the total expected activity is now 8,455 procedures over the life to the contract.
	As the vast majority of wave 1 independent sector treatment centres are now operational, the Department is currently reviewing the release of contractual, financial and utilisation data. A decision will be taken shortly and I will write to the hon. Member.

Antisocial Behaviour

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to make membership of a gang  (a) a factor in relation to sentencing and  (b) an offence.

John Reid: The Sentencing Guidelines Council document "Overarching Principles: Seriousness", published in December 2004, sets out the factors affecting sentencing, and includes groups or gangs as an aggravating factor. Section 1.22 ("Factors indicating higher culpability") includes "Offenders operating in groups or gangs". We are now considering whether this is sufficient, or whether it should be extended to cover all offences where the offender is a member of a gang, irrespective of whether the offence was committed with other members of the group or gang, or whether a new offence is needed.
	This issue was considered by a working group drawn from the Home Secretary's Round Table on Guns, Gangs and Knives on 18 May, which will report back to the next Round Table meeting, due to be held on 26 June.

Departments: Pay

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total sum of bonuses paid to civil servants in his Department was in  (a) 2005 and  (b) 2006.

Liam Byrne: Where it is available, the information requested is recorded in the following table, covering the financial years 2004-05 and 2005-06.
	Within the Home Office and its Agencies there are separate arrangements for awarding bonuses. Staff may receive annual, appraisal-related awards based on their exceptional contribution throughout the year, or special bonuses for exceptional, specific work. Senior civil servants can be awarded bonuses as set out in the senior salaries review body report number 62.
	
		
			   Amount paid (£)  Number paid  Total staff (headcount) 
			 2004-05 3,459,397 4,710 24,081 
			 2005 -06 3,612,916 5,014 25,343 
			  Notes: 1. The data for appraisal-related bonus payments is included only for Home Office HQ and Border and Immigration Agency (BIA). The data for the public sector Prison Service is excluded as it can be provided only at disproportionate cost. Identity and Passport Agency (IPS) does not run an appraisal-related bonus scheme.  2. Data for special bonus payments is included only for the Senior Civil Service (for the whole Department and its Agencies) and IPS for 2004-05 and 2005-06 for certain bonuses where information is available.  3. Data recorded for performance appraisal payments relates to the previous reporting year and not the financial year in which the bonuses themselves were paid.  4. Staffing data is for those in Home Office HQ and BIA and all senior civil servants in the Department and its Agencies. For 2004-05 and 2005-06 IPS staff are included.

Knife Crimes

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 30 April 2007 to the hon. Member for Hackney, North and Stoke Newington (Ms Abbott),  Official Report, column 1224, on knife crimes, when he will publish his plans on whether or not to make membership of a gang an aggravating factor in sentencing.

John Reid: The Sentencing Guidelines Council document "Overarching Principles: Seriousness", published in December 2004, sets out the factors affecting sentencing, and includes groups or gangs as an aggravating factor. Section 1.22 ("Factors indicating higher culpability") includes "Offenders operating in groups or gangs". We are now considering whether this should be extended to cover all offences where the offender is a member of a gang, irrespective of whether the offence was committed with other members of the group or gang.
	This issue was considered on 18 May by a working group drawn from the Home Secretary's Round Table on Guns, Gangs and Knives, which will report back to the next Round Table meeting, due to be held on 26 June.

Members: Correspondence

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Taunton of 19 February on the location of passport interview centres.

Joan Ryan: holding answer 21 May 2007
	Bernard Herdan, executive director of service delivery for the Identity and Passport Service, replied on behalf of my right hon. Friend John Reid to the hon. Member for Taunton's letter on 7 March 2007. A copy of Mr. Herdan's letter is as follows:
	 Letter from Bernard Herdan, dated 7 March 2007:
	Thank you for your letter of 19 February to the Rt Hon John Reid MP. It has been passed to me to reply as Executive Director, Service Planning and Delivery at the Identity and Passport Service (IPS).
	The network of 69 interview offices has been designed to strike a balance between keeping costs (and therefore fees) as low as possible while making journeys to interviews as short as possible. The proposed locations have been verified by a consultancy and take into account consultations with authorities and agencies responsible for sparsely populated areas. I have enclosed a document "Passport Office Authentication by Interview Network", which will give you more information on how we decided the locations of the interview offices, The interview office network is intended to provide an office within an hour's travelling time for over 95% of the UK population. In remote, sparsely populated areas where it is not cost-effective to set up an interview office, we are putting in place videoconferencing facilities to conduct the interview to avoid people having to make long journeys. This will affect a small number of applicants who live more than an hour's journey from an interview office, estimated to be less than 4,000 per year in 25 areas.
	When assessing interview office locations and travelling times to those offices we considered both private and public transport and used all available local and national transport and census data on population movements and modes of travel.
	Each location has been selected as part of a mutually supporting network; no individual location can be changed without affecting the whole network.
	I hope this has clarified the situation.

Net Migration

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 30 April 2007 to the hon. Member for the City of York,  Official Report, column 1226, on net migration, what the exact number of A8 accession country immigrants working in the NHS is; and if he will break this number down by  (a) job and  (b) nationality.

John Reid: Information taken from registration of A8 nationals under the worker registration scheme shows that there were 9,790 registrations for the health and medical sector for the calendar year 2006. We are unable to confirm how many of this number were working in the NHS.
	The jobs that the A8 workers, including those in the health and medical sector were doing are listed in Annex A of the accession monitoring report published on 27 February 2007 at:
	http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/reports/accession_monitoring_report.
	The nationality of those registering is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Accession state worker registration scheme— initial approvals  2006 health and medical sector 
			   Number 
			 Czech Rep 558 
			 Estonia 87 
			 Hungary 469 
			 Latvia 147 
			 Lithuania 515 
			 Poland 7,036 
			 Slovakia 965 
			 Slovenia 14 
			 Total 9,790 
			  Note: The figures have not been rounded to the nearest five as in the published accession monitoring report. 
		
	
	The sectors and occupations used in the worker registration scheme do not conform to the ONS standard industrial and occupational classifications.
	The figures quoted are not provided under National Statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.

Somalia: Overseas Aid

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment has been made of the humanitarian needs of those who have fled Mogadishu since March 2007.

Hilary Benn: The security situation in Mogadishu and the surrounding area makes it difficult to assess the humanitarian situation precisely, and DFID has not made any independent assessment.
	However, there is wide consensus that over 350,000 people were displaced by fighting in Mogadishu at the end of March and beginning of April. Many estimates, including those of the United Nations and International Committee of the Red Cross, put the number higher. In addition the UN estimates that 30 to 40 per cent. of the population were unable to leave the city and were displaced within Mogadishu. The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) has accused the UN and the international relief agencies of overestimating the numbers, and asserts that only 30-40,000 were displaced.
	The feedback from those relief agencies currently operating in Mogadishu is that humanitarian needs are substantial in all sectors.
	Since January 2006 the UK has been the second largest donor of humanitarian relief to Somalia, including $7.4 million since January 2007, of which a substantial amount is being used to help those displaced by the fighting. We stand ready to provide more assistance where we can be sure this will make a difference to the poorest and most vulnerable Somalis.

Departments: Internet

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for which Government websites he is responsible; how many visitors each received in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the cost  (a) was of establishing and  (b) has been of maintaining each site.

Peter Hain: Within the Northern Ireland Office, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies, I have responsibility for the following Government websites:
	
		
			  Website  Number of visitors  Cost of establishing site (£)  Cost of maintaining site (£) 
			 www.cicapni.org 1,370 visitors since May 2004 2,072.70 300.00 since January 2004 
			 www.nicscommissioners.org 7,339 per year 6,869.00 22 1.00 per annum 
			 www.Rucgcfoundation.org 329,025 (average per day -291) 1,057.50 23 5. 00 per annum (approx) 
			 www.nipolicefund.org On average 784 per month 1,556.00 575.00 per annum 
			 www.cjini.org 46,103 since March. 2005 6,895.00 2,425.33 since March. 2005 
			 www.octf.gov.uk 63,356 (January . 2005 to April 2007) 27,150.60 2,605.40 since Sept. 2002 
			 www.independentmonitoringcommission.org 24,317 since 2004 4,756.50 2,075.43 since 2004 
			 www.paradescommission.org n/a 16,000.00 2,000.00 per annum 
			 www.youthjusticeagencyni.gov.uk 32,319 since 2005 (figures not available for 2004) 11,338.75 for initial website. 10, 824.46 for enhancements. 2,185.50 per annum 
			 www. youthconferenceserviceni. gov.uk 69,052 since 2004 7,637.50 for initial website. 193.88 for enhancements. nil 
			 www.niprisonservice. gov.uk 75,000 since November 2005 to date 21,000.00 11,205.60 since 2002 
			 www.reportinghate.org 1,112 between June 2006 and December 2006 5,430.00 47.00 per annum 
			 www.communitysafetyunitni.gov.uk 56,930 between August 2002 and May 2007 3,760.00 Nil 
			 www.howsecureismyhome.com 1,121 between September 06 and April 07 2,145.00 Nil 
			 www.cjsni.gov.uk 41,711 between June 2005 and April 2007 Not known 4,386.00-2005-06 3,646.2000 -2006-07 
			 www. causeway.gOv.uk 7,278 since January 2003 1,487.13 4,614.00 since January 2003 
			 www.ppsni.gov.uk 25,064 since June 2005 6,545.00 4,803. 00 per annum 
			 www.fsni.gov.uk 397,683 7,740.00 Nil 
			 www. Compensationni.gov.uk 31,600 since May 2002 27,398.00 Nil 
			 www.imb-ni.org.uk n/a 10,516.25 Nil 
			 www .policeombudsman. org 341,954 since 2004 7,720.00 1,494.00 per annum 
			 www.sentencereview.org.uk n/a n/a 3,713.00 since 2002 
			 www.lsrcni.org.uk n/a n/a 2,632.00 since 2002 
			 www .niprisonerombudsman. gov.uk n/a 1,566.25 1,500.00 per annum 
			 www.oversightcommissioner.org 3, 000 per month (average) n/a 4,717.53 since 2003 
			 www.psni.police.uk 11,408,813 between 30 April 2006 and 30 April 2007 46,000.00 30,000.00 per annum 
			 www.districtpolicing.com 115,000 between January and July 2006 140,000.00 3 0,000.00 per annum 
			 www.nipolicingboard.org.uk relates to original website March 2002 to April 2007 161,000 from June 2004 to April 2007 20,000.00 2,500.00 per annum 
			 relates to revised website which went live on 27 April 2007 (1)— 99,000.00 5,500.00 per annum 
			 www.nio.gov.uk 611,283 since January. 2004 to December. 2006 49,290.00 613,198.00 since January. 2004 
			 n/a = not available (1) Not available—too early.

Departments: Consultants

Theresa May: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the outside  (a) agencies and  (b) consultancies which are undertaking work commissioned by Number 10; and what the (i) purpose and (ii) cost is of each commission.

Tony Blair: For these purposes my Office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Hilary Armstrong) today.

Departments: Private Finance Initiative

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total value of private finance initiative projects included in his Department's balance sheet  (a) is and  (b) was in each of the last five years, broken down by project.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Over the last five years, the Department's PFI project for the redevelopment of the National Physical Laboratory at Teddington was included in the Department's balance sheet. The PFI contract was terminated in December 2004. The building is now owned outright by the Department and continues to appear on the balance sheet. The value of the building at termination was £86.3 million [the current value is £92.6 million]. The Department had one other PFI during the period?the provision of IT services?which was and still is off the balance sheet.

Departments: Private Finance Initiative

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the value was of annual private finance initiative payments made by his Department from  (a) capital and  (b) revenue budgets in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department of Trade and Industry had two private finance initiative projects during the period?the PFI project for the redevelopment of the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) at Teddington, which was terminated in December 2004, and the provision of its IT services. Service payments for NPL PFI contract were met from a programme budget. Payments for IT services are met from the Department's administration budget. The figures are as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   NPL  IT Services 
			 2001-02 7.1 35.2 
			 2002-03 7.4 45.1 
			 2003-04 9.9 52.5 
			 2004-05 9.0 54.6 
			 2005-06 ? 52.5

Motor Vehicles: Registration

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department has taken to advise motorists of changed responsibilities if they cease to be the keeper of a vehicle.

Stephen Ladyman: In January 2004, a wide-reaching publicity campaign was launched to advise motorists of new registration requirements whereby the registered keeper remains liable for licensing a vehicle until DVLA is notified of its sale or transfer. Failure to comply results in the registered keeper incurring an 80 late licensing penalty if the vehicle remains untaxed.
	The campaign was aimed specifically at informing motorists of the importance of notifying DVLA when their vehicle changed hands. It included:
	An information leaflet inserted in all V11 renewal reminders from January 2004 for 12 months
	A television advertisement was broadcast from February 2004 to June 2004
	Specific radio advertisements were broadcast from March 2004 to July 2004
	Online advertisements were featured on buying and selling pages of well known motoring websites from August 2004 to March 2005
	Advertisements were featured in specialist motoring magazines from August 2004 to March 2005
	2 public information television fillers were produced by COI and marketed to television stations from January 2004 for a minimum 12 month period
	A public relations campaign was used to highlight the messaging in the national and regional press throughout 2004.

Gift Aid: Cultural Heritage

Paul Holmes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many cultural and heritage organisations received money through the Gift Aid scheme in each year since its introduction;
	(2)  what proportion of cultural and heritage organisations registered as charities in the United Kingdom made use of the Gift Aid scheme in each year since its introduction;
	(3)  what the  (a) average,  (b) maximum and  (c) minimum turnover of cultural and heritage organisations registered as charities in the United Kingdom making use of the Gift Aid scheme was in each year since its introduction.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs data does not breakdown Gift Aid claims by the type of charity and the information requested could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

Income Tax: Charities

Paul Holmes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the impact on the income of charities registered with the Gift Aid scheme of changes in the rates of income tax in the 2007 Budget.

Stephen Timms: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer my right hon. Friend, the Paymaster General gave the hon. Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale (Tim Farron) on 18 April 2007,  Official Report, column 691W.

Pensions: Hong Kong

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review the taxation and penalties incurred by those in the UK entitled to Hong Kong pensions as a result of tax refunds made by Hong Kong special administrative region; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Balls: The tax treatment of Hong Kong pensions received by UK residents is governed by the UK's normal domestic rules for relieving double taxation.
	Where the amount of Hong Kong tax was reduced, there was a corresponding increase in the UK tax payable.
	Where tax is paid late, the law requires the taxpayer to pay interest. Interest is not in any sense a penalty. It is designed to recompense the Exchequer on a broadly commercial basis for the loss of the use of the tax paid late. There is no discretion over whether it is charged.

Taxation: Pensioners

Jamie Reed: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many pensioners living in Copeland will be removed from paying tax due to the changes announced in the 2007 Budget.

Edward Balls: Increasing the higher personal allowance for those aged 65 or over by £1,180 above indexation in April 2008 will remove 580,000 pensioners
	from paying tax.
	Similar information at constituency level is not available due to small sample sizes.
	This estimate is based on the 2004-05 Survey of Personal Incomes projected in line with Budget 2007 assumptions.